Company email (December 2012):
"Hi Christine, we do still use gelatin to finish our beers. While the gelatin is removed and not in the beers, I understand that vegans want to know everything used in the process as well. While there are some synthetic alternatives to gelatin, the harsh chemicals used to produce these seem a less desirable option than a natural ingredient. We always seek to source locally and organic when possible, and use the best natural ingredients for all of our beers. Cheers!"

Company email:
"Technically none of our beers can be considered vegan. Using gelatin capture particulates while aging is a fairly standard brewing practice and one that we use as well. In theory the gelatin settles with all the yeast in during fermentation. Most of our beers are then filtered. But we would not be surprised if trace amounts of gelatin were still found in the beer.
So if you are a very strict vegan I would not recommend our products."

Company email:
"Thank you for getting in touch with us. When we first started in 2004 we
used some gelatin, we experimented not using it, and found that we could
still produce the caliber of beer we're striving for without it. Rest
assured that Independence beers are vegetarian/vegan compliant."